They say they fought too hard to wrest it from the U.S. to now hand back the waterway, which is part of the nation’s identity.

The neutrality of the nearly 50-mile canal, through which nearly 15,000 ships transit each year, is enshrined in Panama’s Constitution and is enforced by the autonomous Panama Canal Authority.

Often called one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the Panama Canal splits the continents of North and South America ...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Panama late next week in his first official diplomatic trip late, amid ...